


Heart Out

by rosegoldwritings



Category: iKON (Kpop)
Genre: coffee shop AU, its cute really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-08-01
Packaged: 2018-07-28 14:51:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7645309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosegoldwritings/pseuds/rosegoldwritings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>jinhwan is a barista. junhoe is a regular. somewhere along the way, they become more than that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Heart Out

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this is good! This is my first time writing for ikon. I'm not sure if it went to fast/slow/whatever so constructive criticism is always welcome? Anyways, enjoy!

Jinhwan remembered the first time he saw that boy. It was one of those gray, rainy days during the transition between winter and spring, when the chilly showers never let up and made for a miserable walk to work, yet was somehow enjoyable when you were inside listening to the pounding of the rain on the rooftop. He was making a caramel latte for a young woman who was on her lunch break from the company building across the street. He was used to her face around here; she’d told him it was her favorite shop to visit, because the coffee always tasted great and the atmosphere was even better. He wasn’t so sure about that first part – he’d been to the other shops in the city, and they all more or less tasted the same. But he took great pride in his work, and smiled each time she complimented it. She was a welcome regular.

That boy behind her, though – he wasn’t.

Jinhwan had never seen him before in his life. As the woman walked to the other end of the counter to wait for her order, he called the boy up.

“Hi, what can I get for you?”

“Medium vanilla cappuccino,” he answered, not meeting Jinhwan’s eyes. If he didn’t know better, he would’ve mistook it for shyness. 

Something about him made Jinhwan stare a second too long. Maybe it was the way his black hair almost fell into his eyes, the mask covering his nose and lips, the way he stuffed his hands into his coat pockets like he didn’t know what to do with them, or how incredibly tall he was – something Jinhwan definitely wasn’t. 

“Okay. Can I have a name?”

“Junhoe.”

Junhoe. He’d have to remember that.

~

Jinhwan looked up from the cash register as soon as he heard the bells on the door ring. He immediately recognized the tall, dark haired boy entering the shop. He hurried up with the woman paying and rushed back to the other side of the counter, getting the words out before he came to a stop. “Hi, how can I help you?”

“Medium vanilla cappuccino, please,” he said.

Jinhwan pulled a cup from the stack next to him and uncapped a Sharpie, then asked for a name. He wasn’t sure why. Junhoe visited regularly, and he had his face, as well as his usual order, memorized by now. No doubt Junhoe also had this small barista’s face, and probably scrawled handwriting, memorized too.

“Junhoe,” he answered, but Jinhwan was writing the name before the boy finished saying it. He turned around and started working the machine behind him as Junhoe pulled out his wallet and walked to the cash register.

Jinhwan capped the drink and joined him at the other end of the counter. “Three thirty-nine,” he said, taking the money from Junhoe’s hands and sliding the cup across the marble. He wanted to say a goodbye to the boy he’d become familiar with, but just then, the bells tied to the door rung again and caught his attention. 

By the time he looked back, Junhoe was walking out the door.

~

The shop Jinhwan worked at was small. It consisted of him, the equally bright Donghyuk, charming Yunhyeong, youngest employee Chanwoo, and their manager, who rarely seemed to be around. Many times, when the others were busy, Jinhwan ran the place alone. Not that he minded. It was calming, an automatic routine he fell into that actually relaxed him. Not today. Wednesdays were always the busiest, and all four boys were crowded behind the counter, trying their best not to bump into each other as they worked. They weren’t always successful.

“Yah, Chanwoo, watch where you’re going!” he heard Yunhyeong call.

“Sorry,” the younger boy replied, only half meaning it. He was taking orders as Jinhwan took his time wiping down the counter. He looked up briefly to see how long the line was getting, but stopped when he saw Junhoe standing in the front. He had actually realized earlier the boy had never come in at his usual time. It was surprising; he usually didn’t stop by this late. Jinhwan shook his head and resumed cleaning before he noticed.

“Name?” Chanwoo asked.

Junhoe replied, but Chanwoo must not have heard, because he said, “I’m sorry, what was that?”

“Junhoe,” Jinhwan said before he caught himself. He froze, hand still holding the towel in place on the counter, and looked towards his friend. “Um, Junhoe – his name is Junhoe, he comes here pretty often—“ 

He felt the blush rising to his cheeks, along with both boys’ gazes trained on him, but he barely registered anything besides the slight smile he _swore_ he saw flicker across Junhoe’s face. “Yeah,” he said.

Chanwoo looked from Junhoe to Jinhwan before nodding slowly and writing his name on the cup. “Okay. Thanks.”

Jinhwan glanced over to the cash register where Donghyuk was supposed to be, but seeing him turned away from it, left the rag on the countertop and hurried over. His coworker shot him a mildly confused look when he turned back, but Jinhwan only shrugged and focused his attention on the boy in front of him.

“Three thirty-nine.”

Junhoe took his time fishing the money from his wallet, and despite all the customers behind him, Jinhwan didn’t mind.

“Thanks, um, Jinhwan,” he said as he handed him the money.

His heart skipped a beat before he remembered he wore a nametag pinned to his apron.

“No problem.”

Even with the cup in his hands, Junhoe still stood at the counter. “I mean about remembering me…” He shrugged, as if playing it off because he regretted the words.

Regretting the words was the last thing he wanted the boy to do.

“It’s nothing, really. I like seeing you here.” He beamed, eyes focused on Junhoe’s, even though the other boy’s were locked on the floor. “Hope to see you again soon.”

And the slightest smile was back, briefly looking up to meet Jinhwan’s gaze, then turning away.

Now it was Jinhwan’s turn to get yelled at.

“There’s more customers, you know! Let Donghyuk have the register again if you can’t handle it!”

Not even his friend’s scolding words could bring him down from his mood. He nodded, returning to his spot cleaning the counter before pointing at the register, feigning anger when Donghyuk didn’t move towards it. “Well? Are you going?” 

Donghyuk narrowed his eyes, but his smile didn’t match the rest of his expression. “You’re too much sometimes.”

~

A few days passed after Jinhwan had last seen Junhoe come in. Every time he heard the bells on the door ring he instinctively looked up to see who it was, much to his dismay when he realized that, for the twenty-fourth time this morning, it was not who he had hoped.

“You’re not as talkative as you usually are,” Yunhyeong commented, stacking paper cups on the shelf behind Jinhwan. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m tired,” he said, which wasn’t a complete lie. 

“You work too much. Take tomorrow off and let us handle the shop.”

Jinhwan shrugged. He really did enjoy his job, but more than that, what if Junhoe stopped in? It had been a while. He had to suppress a sigh. God, all he knew was the boy’s name, and he thought of him like this? Maybe the smile he saw was all in his head. This was getting ridiculous, it was probably best to-

“Jinhwan. I mean it, take tomorrow off,” Yunhyeong repeated. “We’d be happy to take care of everything.”

“Speak for youself,” Chanwoo called from the other side of the store. “It gets busy.”

Yunhyeong shot him a sidelong glance, but didn’t reply. He shook his head and turned his attention back to Jinhwan. “I can tell something is wrong. Don’t make it worse.”

Jinhwan hung his head without saying anything back. They stood in silence for several moments until the bells rung throughout the small café again. Jinhwan took a moment to breathe before he turned around, ready to face the customer.

He felt his heart stop.

Junhoe was making his way up to the counter, eyes down, the familiar habit brining a crescent-eyed smile to Jinhwan’s face. Yunhyeong was visibly puzzled at the sudden change but didn’t question it and returned to whatever he was doing. 

“Hi,” Jinhwan said brightly. “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

Junhoe blinked, then brought his gaze up to meet Jinhwan’s, and he actually felt his heart beating. The boy didn’t smile much, but his eyes could deliver messages of their own – and right now, they were so soft, so sweet.

“I haven’t been feeling well.”

Jinhwan grabbed a cup from the stack beside him and started carefully writing Junhoe’s name. He felt Yunhyeong staring at him from behind, but ignored it.

“Ah, I’m sorry to hear that. Is everything okay now?”

Junhoe paused for a heartbeat before his smile broadened, just a little, and nodded. “Yeah.”

Jinhwan took his order and handed off the responsibility of making it to Donghyuk, who was slightly offended, then joined Junhoe at the register where he was waiting. His mind was racing for something to say, anything – he was so at ease with everyone that came through the shop, the feeling of being at a loss was new to him. The last thing he wanted was for Junhoe to get the wrong message in the silence.

“How long have you been working here?”

It took Jinhwan a moment to process that Junhoe had just spoken to him. “Four years… almost five. We all have,” he added, motioning to the others who he thought were working, but sat on stools in the back doing god only knew what. “Hey, Donghyuk, how’s that order coming?”

“Great,” he called back, not looking up from his phone. Chanwoo laughed at whatever was on it. Some team they were. Working together for so long _really_ paid off.

Junhoe nodded. “I can tell.”

“Huh?”

“You- you’re familiar with everyone,” he stuttered, eyes downcast once again. “I’ve seen when people come in, you know them.”

Jinhwan’s eyes widened slightly. “You were watching me?”

“No- I just, I saw-“ His face flushed as he struggled for words.

“Right here,” Jinhwan heard Donghyuk’s voice cut in a little too loudly. “I told you it was coming along.” Both boys looked up to see him set the cup on the counter and back away immediately. Jinhwan’s hand lightly brushed Junhoe’s as he slid it to him, the heat of it lingering even as he pulled away, while the younger boy fumbled in his wallet for money.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of it.”

“Thanks,” Junhoe mumbled, still flustered. Jinhwan leaned over the counter just a little, giving a gentle smile to try and let him know it was okay.

“No problem. I’m just happy you’re feeling better.”

He watched Junhoe walk out, standing there until he was down the street and out of sight. All at once, the other three boys pounced on him. Donghyuk actually hit him on the back, making him stumble forward a bit until he caught himself of the marbletop.

“That was Jinhwe, right?”

“Junhoe.”

“Same thing. Who is he?”

“What do you mean who is he?” Donghyuk had slung an arm over Jinhwan’s shoulder, and he craned his neck to look at him. “I just told you.”

“No, why is he so important to you?”

“He’s a regular. Sorry for being polite.”

“Mhm.” This time it was Yunhyeong who spoke. “Why were you feeling _so much better_ when he came in?”

“I wasn’t. Maybe I _will_ take tomorrow off,” Jinhwan snapped.

The boys laughed all at once and slapped him on the back again, then went back to whatever they were doing before. Jinhwan couldn’t stay upset and found himself smiling at the memory of what had happened only minutes before. He let out a happy sigh and untied his apron to go on break, ignoring the teasing calls of his friends behind him.

 

Jinhwan couldn’t sleep as he lay in bed that night. The events of the day kept running through his head, keeping him tossing and turning as he tried to cast them out. The most bothersome part was that he liked to consider himself a rational person. That was one of his strongest points. And the fact that some boy he had only really talked to twice was keeping him up like something could _happen_ – that most definitely wasn’t rational.

He threw his head over his pillow, frustrated, when his phone vibrated. Yunhyeong.

_so, taking tomorrow off?_

Despite his frustration, he smiled.

_it’s friday. not worth it._

_come on, that’s the best day to have off_

i can’t trust you three alone for more than five minutes

_we’ll be fine. promise_

He didn’t know why he agreed. Maybe he was just so tired and desperately wanted sleep, maybe Yunhyeong was just bothering him. Either way, he texted back a simple fine, and went to roll over when it vibrated one more time.

_yay!! enjoy your day hyung :)_

Whatever they were doing, he was too tired to care.

~

The first thing Jinhwan noticed when he walked into the shop early the next week was the boys. All three of them, already wide awake and getting ready to open, working as if this was completely normal.

Which, for the record, it _wasn’t._

Jinhwan was lucky if he could get them in by nine in the morning. They were never here during opening. This was when they probably rolled out of bed on most days, using school as an excuse as to why they were busy, even though it was summer. Even young Chanwoo, who had just graduated, picked up on their favorite alibi and was repeating it with them like a mantra in no time. Jinhwan usually didn’t mind; the first few hours of the morning were peaceful, and if he was being honest, he wasn’t entirely awake either. It was easier to not have to communicate with others until he could process the thoughts going through his own brain.

What he did mind was this, right in front of him.

“Hey guys,” he said uneasily, slowly shutting the door behind him. They all gave him small waves from behind the counter. He waited until he was with them, tying on his apron before asking, “So, um, what’s going on?”

“What do you mean?” Donhgyuk asked without looking up.

“It’s seven am. I don’t think you’ve ever even seen the world at this hour.”

“You’re right. But we decided we’d try to be better employees and help out. It gets busy, and you have to handle it by yourself every day.”

Yunhyeong put on a fake pout and came to stand behind him. “Yeah, you could give us credit for once.”

He almost believed them. Almost.

Jinhwan glanced over at Chanwoo, who hadn’t said a word the whole time, and saw the slightest grin on his face. He was never a good liar.

“Tell me what’s really going on.”

“Nothing, hyung!” Yunhyeong protested. “Come on, people are going to be here.”

Jinhwan hesitated, but fell into the routine. Having the others here, as difficult as they got sometimes, was actually nice. They were all friends before they were coworkers, and he eventually forgot about whatever scheme they were pulling off as they day went by. Everything was fine until the clock hit noon. The time Junhoe usually came in.

Jinhwan watched him enter the shop and walk up to the counter. He seemed nervous, but Jinhwan offered one of his charming smiles that reached his eyes, and he felt Junhoe untense and return it.

“Hi,” the younger boy said, shifting awkwardly. 

“Hi! I’ll get it started right now.” Jinhwan jumped when he turned around and saw Yunhyeong only centimeters from his face, blocking his access to the coffee machines, small hands gripping his forearms as Donghyuk reached over both their bodies to get something from the counter behind them.

“We’ll take care of the order,” Yunhyeong said, grinning. “Go sit down with him or something. We’ll bring it out.”

“He gets it to go.”

“Not today.”

“What-“

“Go!”  
“You don’t even know what he orders.”

Yunhyeong didn’t reply to that. Jinhwan felt a little smug at knowing there were pieces of Junhoe he knew and the others didn’t, but the feeling only lasted the time it took the younger boy to motion behind Jinhwan’s back to Chanwoo, who immediately stepped up to the counter and took the order. Donghyuk turned his head to hear, then stretched his torso even farther over the two boys to reach something he wasn’t entirely sure why he didn’t ask either boy under him to get for him. Despite the situation, and his still present confusion, Jinhwan laughed. He may have made not-entirely-untrue jokes about their work ethic sometimes, but there really was no one else he’d rather be here with.

“Go, don’t make me walk you there,” Yunhyeong repeated, eyes following Junhoe as he crossed the open room. Jinhwan’s first instinct was to put up a fight; the boys had planned this, and he didn’t like giving into them. But every muscle in his body was shaking with anticipation and something else he couldn’t quite place as the idea sunk in. Just him and Junhoe, for once, without all the awkwardness of feeling rushed by the line behind him, by the suspicion the boys breathing down his back any time they talked, which he knew was true now.

Yunhyeong didn’t wait for an aswer. He spun Jinhwan around by his shoulders and pushed him away. Jinhwan lightly stumbled forward, but caught himself and paused for a brief moment to steal a glance at Junhoe. He was at a table in the corner, staring out the windows that made up the wall. Jinhwan’s heart skipped a beat. He looked so calm like that, so vulnerable, nothing like the tense boy that stood in line every day. He wanted to put the world on pause and just watch him like this, but he knew the others were glaring holes into his back, so he took a deep breath and continued on.

Even as Jinhwan walked up to the table, Junhoe was still focused outside. Jinhwan nervously kneaded his hands together, pressing the knuckles one with the palm of the other. Only now did he notice that this table was much farther than they usually had it placed. Jinhwan frowned slightly, looking around, and noticing that it was very isolated. Well, as isolated it could get in a one-room coffee house. That was probably why Junhoe had chosen to sit here.

And while they usually set three or four chairs to a table, somehow, there was only one extra seat besides the one Junhoe was sitting in.

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to punch the boys or give them all a hug and thank them. He’d probably end up doing both, just because he could.

“Hey,” he said softly, catching Junhoe’s attention. He turned around slowly to see who was behind him, no real emotion showing on his face, but his lips faintly curved upward when he realized who it was.

“Hey.”

Jinhwan sat down before he overthought it. He stole a quick glance over at the counter and saw Chanwoo taking orders, only half focused as he glimpsed in Jinhwan’s direction every few seconds, and the other two in the back filling those orders. Their heads were turned as the worked, not giving any attention to what they were doing, and Jinhwan had to stifle the grin that was pressing at his lips as he heard Donghyuk yelp from getting hot coffee on his hand. He had the urge to flip them off right then, but didn’t for Junhoe’s sake.

“Thanks for coming in all the time,” Jinhwan said, unsure of how to start the conversation, or what he should even talk about. He immediately felt stupid. He didn’t want Junhoe to think he’d come to thank him for continuously spending his money here.

“It’s nothing. I really like it here.”

His face lit up. “Aw, I’m glad! I really like having you here.” He caught himself after the words came out, felt a blush rising to his cheeks. He wanted to stutter out some coverup, like _“it’s nice to see familiar faces,”_ but that wasn’t what he meant at all. He meant Junhoe. Junhoe specifically. He didn’t care for him in the way he did other regulars.

And it was Junhoe’s turn to blush, yet the smile widened. It was something Jinhwan hadn’t seen on him before, and encouraged him.

“So, last time you said you watched me while I worked…”

Junhoe bit his lip at that. “Sorry, I, um… I’m sorry, it’s-“

“No!” Jinhwan stopped him, maybe a little too eagerly. “I… think it’s cute.”

“Huh?” He choked out. The blush spread across his whole face, tinging his ears pink as he tried to understand what the boy across from him was saying.

“When I said I liked having you here, I meant…you. Not as a customer.”

Jinhwan’s heart was beating out of his chest while Junhoe stared down at his hands. He knew the boy was beautiful, but sitting right across from him without the pressure of other responsibilities, he finally got to admire how striking he was. His large, dark eyes were what Jinhwan had noticed first, he realized for the first time incredibly _perfect_ he was. The gentle curve his lips, sharp jawline, hair falling in front of his face that somehow gave him a youthful appearance, but at the same time made him handsome in a mature way. Jinhwan couldn’t break his eyes away.

Junhoe let out a nervous, breathy laugh. “I…I know. I really like seeing you too. As you, I mean. It’s part of the reason I come here so often.” And then the blush was replaced by a full, deep red flush. It was cute.

Even though Jinhwan had hoped, maybe half expected, that he would say that, it still made his heart swell. “Do you want to go out sometime?”

“Yes! I mean, yeah, I’d like that.”

Just then, Yunhyeong swung by the table with a silver tray balanced in one hand, two cups of coffee on top. “Here’s yours,” he said, setting one in front of Junhoe, then the other in front of Jinhwan. “Enjoy it, it’s not busy right now. We have everything.” There was a slight glint in his eyes as he spoke, and without even looking, Jinhwan knew the other two boys were standing behind the counter doing absolutely nothing, trying and failing to stay hidden while they watched. The thought made him smile. 

“Thanks, Yunhyeong.” And for once, he really meant it. 

 

Jinhwan remembered his first date with the boy clearly. It was in the middle of spring, when all the early season showers had passed and the world was left almost perfect in a state of sunshine and cool breezes, everything feeling fresh and new, when you weren’t sure if your constant good mood was from the weather or something else. Jinhwan knew for certain that it was something else.

It seemed a bit odd to go to a café on a date like most people would, considering Jinhwan worked in one. They wanted to go somewhere new, a place they could experience together. That turned out to be a flower garden. Jinhwan didn’t care how cliché it was, he felt as if he was walking on air that day. Just having Junhoe by his side would make a date in an alleyway worth it. 

He also remembered when the walkway led onto a bridge with a small stream underneath. It wasn’t a particularly high bridge, or deep water underneath, but he felt Junhoe tense up beside him regardless.

“Are you okay?” He asked, concern coating his voice.

“Yeah,” he breathed out, nervously looking down.

Jinhwan knew he wasn’t. While heights didn’t bother him, Junhoe clearly didn’t take them well.

So he did what he’d been wanting to do since the day he met him.

Jinhwan slipped his hands into Junhoe’s, lacing their fingers together, and squeezed. He looked up at the taller boy and gave him a reassuring smile. Junhoe didn’t quite release all the way, and kept a tight grip until he felt himself step back onto solid ground. Even when the unease left his body, they kept their fingers intertwined the rest of the walk. 

That was the memory that flashed through Jinhwan’s mind as he lovingly watched his boyfriend across from him, eyes fixed on his laptop screen, typing like his life depended on it. He’d been so stressed out ever since school started again, sometimes distancing himself for days at a time, and although Jinhwan understood, he just wanted to see him happy again. He reached across the table and lightly put his hand on top of Junhoe’s, bringing his typing to a stop. The younger boy looked up, something like a lost expression crossing his face, so focused on his writing he forgot there was a world outside it.

“June,” Jinhwan said softly. “Come on. You’ve been working so hard. Take a break.”

“I can’t,” he said anxiously, already starting to type again with Jinhwan’s hand still on his. “This is due in three days, and I’m not even halfway—“

“This isn’t good for you. Please.” Jinhwan stared intently into his boyfriend’s eyes, hoping, as selfish as it was, he could convince him using his own feelings. “I don’t like seeing you like this. And I miss you.”

Junhoe’s eyes flickered from Jinhwan’s to the screen, and back to Jinhwan’s, before he finally shook his head and shut the laptop. “Fine.” He leaned in closer. “But it’s only been a few days. You can’t go without spending time with me that long?” Even as the words came out, he smiled. A wide, full smile. Nothing like the shy grins Jinhwan was used to before their relationship. He liked this side of Junhoe.

“Of course I can’t,” Jinhwan replied with a pout. 

“I’d say get over it,” he teased, “but honestly, I’ve been missing you too.” The mischievous spark disappeared from his eyes as he pushed the computer away and reached for Junhoe, their hands resting together in the middle of the table. 

“Unbelievable,” they heard someone shout from behind the counter, and turned to find Yunhyeong and Chanwoo standing side by side, wearing comically over exaggerated looks of disgust. Junhoe flipped them off before Jinhwan got the chance to, and he never thought he’d be so proud of someone for saying _fuck you._

“Come here,” Junhoe mumbled, taking Jinhwan’s wrist to lead him to one of the plush couches by the windows. He pulled the smaller boy closer into his side, Jinhwan snuggling his head into Junhoe’s chest, both silently watching out the clear glass as a light sprinkle descended over the city. It felt familiar. Safe. The sound of ceramic banging against ceramic, coffee being poured in the back, the boys’ light banter as they worked. Jinhwan wished he could stay in this moment forever.

“I love you,” he mumbled into Junhoe’s chest.

He raked his hands through the older boy’s hair lightly, watching his eyes fall shut. “I love you too.”


End file.
